


After the Banquet

by Calicolor



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Drinking & Talking, Falling In Love, Grand Prix Final Banquet, Love at First Sight, M/M, Talking about the banquet, Viktor talking about his new crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 22:59:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9261944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calicolor/pseuds/Calicolor
Summary: A week has passed since the Grand Prix Final banquet and Viktor has been thinking about Yuuri's request for him to become his coach. He finds himself interested in Yuuri and wonders if he should accept. He decides to confide in his fellow skater, Christophe.*Takes place at the beginning of the series (technically), but mostly inspired by episode 10's banquet scene.





	

“I think I’m in love.”

Viktor was at a bar one evening when he’d blurted out the confession to Chris. It was only a week after the Grand Prix Final had ended, as well as the banquet that had followed it afterward. Chris set down the glass he’d just taken a sip from, giving a teasing look to the Russian.

“Oh, Viktor. I’m flattered, really. But I can’t be with you since I already have a—”

“Not with you!…er, no offense.”

Viktor trailed off. He was too busy with his thoughts to even realize that Chris had only been joking. Chris chuckled.

“I know. I was just messing with you,” he said, lifting his glass to his lips again. “So is this why you invited me out here?”

Viktor ran a hand through his bangs, slicking them back for a moment before letting them fall back over his forehead.

“…Perhaps.”

It was silent for a moment. He could feel Chris observing him from the side.

“It’s the man from the banquet—”

“Oh, you mean Yuuri!?” Chris gushed at the idea, his eyes twinkling as if he were fondly recalling a memory.

“…Yes…him…” Viktor mumbled, nodding in confirmation.

“I remember Yuuri,” Chris said, clasping his hands together. “I mean who could forget such an eccentric man? He was such a great pole-dancing partner. And goodness, can he dance!”

Viktor was currently sinking as far south as he possibly could into his seat. He could feel his face and ears burning from embarrassment as the vivid memories flooded his mind.

“Y-Yes. That’s definitely him.”

Chris turned to look at Viktor with a grin, a palm clasped against his face.

“So? You’re in love with this man?”

Viktor rested his chin on his hand and leaned into it. He glided his finger lazily around the rim of his glass and stared down at the wooden bar.

“I think so. Well, I don’t know…I can’t really figure it out.”

“Why do you like him?”

“Huh?”

Viktor looked up to meet Chris’s gaze.

“What is it that you like about Yuuri?”

The Russian thought about it for a minute. He put a finger to his lips, concentrating. He started to list things off about the other man.

“Well…he…interests me. There’s no doubt that he has some serious dancing skills. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s cute. I can’t forget those big brown eyes and that adorable smile…but besides that, he has a quality about him that I haven’t seen in anyone I’ve ever met before. It draws me in, but…I can’t think of the word I’m looking for…”

“A quality?” Chris asked, leaning forward curiously.

“It’s something about the way he moved that night. The way his body… _demanded_ your attention. He would move all the right ways at all the right moments. It made me feel…it had a… _seductive_ tone to it. It was…”

Viktor thought hard, searching for the word. He clicked his tongue a few times. Then, it hit him.

“It was… _Eros_ …manifested…”

Chris simply smiled as he watched him, waiting for him to go on. He was a really good listener, Viktor had to admit. It was one of the traits he liked most about the man. And the reason he’d asked him to meet him tonight.

“It didn’t exactly help that he was stripping his clothes off and was all over that pole with you,” Viktor said in a reprimanding tone. A thought occurred to him. He peered over at the other man. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, but _where_ did that pole come from?”

Chris merely smirked at him as he took another sip of his drink. Viktor narrowed his eyes at him.

“You _know_. Don’t you, Chris?”

“I have _no_ idea what you’re talking about, Viktor,” Chris said in a sing-song voice. “All I remember is seeing two Yuri’s having a dancing competition and the next thing I knew, I was out back, and then a pole _mysteriously_ found its way out onto the floor.”

Viktor gawked at him.

“Chris! Are you trying to tell me you ordered a freaking dance pole in the middle of a _formal_ banquet…and had it delivered there the same night!?”

Chris winked suggestively in his direction.

“I know a guy.”

Viktor gave him an inquisitive look, but decided to drop it. Chris sure had some odd side hobbies. They were quiet for a few minutes, idly sipping at their drinks. Questions and thoughts flooded Viktor’s mind. Who was Yuuri? Why had he never noticed him until now? Why had his Grand Prix Final performance felt so lackluster, only earning him a spot in sixth place? He obviously could have presented a much more enticing routine, what with the way he acted at the banquet. If Viktor could just modify some parts of the routine…

That reminded him.

“Oh yeah. I just remembered something,” Viktor said.

“Hm?” Chris hummed in the middle of a sip.

“Yuuri asked me to be his coach.”

A loud fit of coughing came from Chris’s direction. Viktor looked at him in alarm and patted him on the back.

“Chris! Are you okay?”

Chris’s coughing passed quickly and he looked up at him, an irritated expression on his face.

“His coach!? He asked you to be his _coach_!? That’s ridiculous! You’re _the_ Viktor Nikiforov. You’re a figure skating legend. He can’t take you away from the spotlight. Who does he think he is?”

He looked away in annoyance, drumming his fingers on the bar.

“Besides, you need to be here for me to compete against you. You motivate me to fight.”

Viktor just sat there quietly. Motionless. He stared down at his hands in his lap. Chris glanced over at him, waiting for a response. The Russian eventually spoke up.

“Maybe…I want to be his coach…” Viktor whispered, nearly inaudible. But Chris had heard him.

“But why? Viktor, you hardly know the guy. You’re not planning to retire yet, are you?”

Viktor just continued to stare at his lap in silence. Chris let out a huff.

“Well, I guess you have your reasons…no matter how weird. But even if you were to become his coach, you wouldn’t be able to find him. Do you even know where he lives?”

Viktor remembered the words that had never left his ears since that evening at the banquet.

_“After this season ends, my family runs a hot springs resort, so please come.”_

“He said…he lives in Hasetsu.”

“Mm? Is that so? Well I suppose you could find him then.”

Irritation was still present in Chris’s voice, but Viktor ignored it. He hadn’t come to Chris to ask for advice. He’d just wanted someone to confide in. Someone to listen to him.

Advice? He could forget it.

Nobody would encourage the _great Viktor Nikiforov_ to retire and become the coach of some lesser-known figure skater. Anyone…not just Chris…would tell him this idea was ridiculous. Too ludicrous to even consider. The only thing he could ask was that someone listen. He didn’t want anyone’s approval. He didn’t need anyone’s permission. If he wanted to do something, he would do it no matter what anyone else thought. He wouldn’t have made it this far on his own if he hadn’t done just that.

But he was tired of being alone. He wanted to branch out and try something new. He had tried multiple times to do it on the ice but no matter what he did, nobody was surprised anymore. Viktor couldn’t impress the audience the way he used to. He wanted to move people. Inspire others. It was becoming obvious that he couldn’t do it alone anymore. He needed to express himself through another means…

Then came along Yuuri Katsuki.

This man was his chance to try something different. To explore new territory. There were new things to discover out there. He would never know if he stayed cooped up in his little apartment with Makkachin. Makkachin! He’d have to take Makkachin with him, too.

Viktor smiled to himself. He watched Chris still fuming next to him. The skating world wasn’t going to be happy with him this coming season. But he didn’t care. At least it would be different from their usual worship for him. He wasn’t exactly _retiring_. It was more like he was just taking a break. He was going to explore another country with different food and different customs and different…people. He was going to inspect every inch of this Yuuri Katsuki. Besides, Yuuri was there waiting for him, right? He couldn’t just _not_ accept his request to be his coach.

This was the start of something new.


End file.
